Dr Rashid Pelpuo
The Minister for Labour, Jobs, and Employment, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, has urged members of the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) to call off the ongoing strike and return to the negotiation table.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with 3news Labour Affairs Correspondent in Accra on September 23, the Minister said the government is close to resolving the Union’s demands and warned that the strike could delay progress on their issues.
“We expected that once they had these challenges, they would have listened to us until we solved the problem. They are on strike—I just spoke with the Labour Commission—and their expectation is that TEWU will call off the strike because it hasn’t followed the legal process by which a strike is declared,” Dr. Pelpuo said.
He emphasized that the government is not only aware of TEWU’s concerns but has taken concrete steps to address them.
“We hope that they will call off the strike. There will be no need to go on strike after we have finished addressing the issue. I will encourage leadership to work closely with their members, and members should try to understand their leadership and government’s commitment to resolving the issues,” he added.
Dr. Pelpuo assured TEWU members that a favorable deal is on the table.
“They want something concrete—and we are going to give them something concrete. They want the gap between teaching staff and non-teaching staff to be narrowed, and they also want to ensure the allowance meant to close that gap is supported. That’s exactly what we’re working on.”
He also noted that economic decisions, particularly those affecting wages and allowances, take time due to their broader implications on the national budget.
“Economic decisions are not taken overnight. Every decision has consequences on the budget. So, before a budget is read, many things are considered. In this case, after discussions with the Minister of Finance, we’ve virtually concluded what they want.”
The Minister expressed surprise at the timing of the strike, saying he had expected continued dialogue rather than industrial action.
“I didn’t expect them to go on strike now. I expected them to return to us so we could take concrete steps. These issues will be resolved—it shouldn’t be because of a strike. I just want us to work out a situation where they appreciate that we, too, are concerned about the welfare of the workers.”
As of now, TEWU leadership has yet to respond publicly to the Minister’s comments or indicate when the strike might be called off.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
